Fitness of workers
12.—(1) A local authority must not—
(a)employ a person to work for the purposes of their adoption service unless that person is fit to work for the purposes of an adoption service; or
(b)allow a person to whom paragraph (2) applies, to work for the purposes of the adoption service unless that person is fit to work for the purposes of an adoption service.
(2) This paragraph applies to any person employed, other than by the authority in a position in which that person may in the course of that person’s duties have regular contact with children who may be, or have been placed for adoption by or who may receive or are receiving adoption support services from the authority.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work for the purposes of an authority’s adoption service unless that person—
(a)is of integrity and good character;
(b)has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary for the work which that person is to perform;
(c)is physically and mentally fit for the work which that person is to perform; and unless
(d)full and satisfactory information is available in relation to that person in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 3.
(4) The authority must take reasonable steps to ensure that any persons working for the purposes of the adoption service who are not employed by the authority and to whom paragraph (2) does not apply are appropriately supervised while carrying out their duties.